Night of the Hunter
by ParamoreXO
Summary: Alliances, betrayal, corrupt order, & assassination attempts dominate the realms of the Magic Dimension. Peaceful worlds are threatened as a rising power crushes forces with a brutal, evil fist. This is war.
1. Chapter 1

**Night of the Hunter**

**A/N: Even though this is told from Bloom's POV, & contains bits of her & Sky's romance, that is not the main interest of this story. The Winx Club plays an extremely vital role later on. So, whether you are a Bloom basher or supporter, I believe there is an angle you can find to be appreciated.**

**I shouldn't allow it, I know I shouldn't.** But I still let these thoughts slip into my brain and slowly eat away at my mind. Apparently, Sky believes that this relationship is about **sacrifices.** I, for one, completely disagree. This connection is not about letting go of the things we love. No, not at all. It is about finding yourself and each other through the experience. But if sacrifices is what he wants, then so be it. I mean, I realize that our royal obligations may preclude a frustrating amount of our quality time together. Maybe I'm not happy with it, but I am used to some hovercraft abruptly stealing Sky away to Eraklyon. He promises to "explain everything" after every time that happens, but I'm his goddamn girlfriend. He tells me he loves me one moment then leaves me in his royal wake the next.

I'm being a little selfish, aren't I? Is what I feel understandable? Maybe I'm just a bratty teenager who wants her boyfriend back in her arms. That'd be nice... He's so warm and strong.

Shifting around under my covers, I finally get comfortable and pull the blankets up to my chin. Closing my eyes, Sky's image instantly burns under my eyelids.

He's always been too complex for my taste. I suppose I like it.

Hell, I do like it.

His kingdom needs him. At least, I've gathered as much. He's only called there every other week or something ridiculous like that. I'm not familiar with the inner workings of his realm, which is a bit like a slap to my face. I'm left out of this entire aspect of his life, something he was born and raised to govern. I suppose that's an attribute as to why it hurts so much to see him leave when duty calls. And to think I'm about to be wed into all of this. God, everything is frustrating.

You would think that being Princess to a realm of my own would allow me to see things with understanding eyes. Even though I'm inexperienced, I can understand the hardships his position forces him to endure. I don't have complete power on Sparks, but I suppose I maintain influence. He, however, owns the throne. My biological father is flustered on occasion when it comes to governing our people, but he & Mariam find plenty of time for me nonetheless. I often wonder why Sky is unable to do the same.

I cannot help but pick these things apart.

Of course, I am grateful. Because of Daphne, I am forever thankful just to be **alive.** I have the Winx Club, and could never ask for any other coterie to have as my best friends. Wedding preparations are imminent. Back in Gardenia, I had spent wistful years just craving to become a fairy. I find myself still marveling at the fact that my longtime wish actually came true. Back then, achieving even the slightest structure of the thought seemed impractical. If only my conflictions could be as simple as they had been on Earth.

Releasing a melancholy sigh, I found myself drifting out of consciousness, and embracing the dreamworld.

* * *

><p>"Bloom… Bloom, sweetie… You need to wake up…"<p>

Groaning, I smothered my face with my pillow, trying to drown out that beckoning voice. It was flattering and all to have the royal maids look after me, clothe me, feed me, and work with a fierce passion just for my sake, but it was a bit too much. Their collective presence was often suffocating.

"Bloom, please…"

_Wait a second_… That was Mariam's voice. She never shows just to wake me.

"Sky is here to see you."

_Oh, that's why._ My arms slacken from around the pillow. Under the covers, my body went rigid. _Sky…_

"I know you're awake, sweetie."

Coming out from hiding, my eyes found her bright, sincere gaze. It was somewhat reassuring. Of what, I'm not quite sure. "I'll get ready. Thank you."

She offered a humble smile before rising from the edge of my bed where she had been perched. As she turned to exit through the grand double doors, I stopped her.

"Oh! Mariam?"

"Please," she corrected, turning her head slightly to look my way, "I'd rather you address me as your mother, Bloom."

"Right. Er, well… Good morning, mom!"

That same humble, yet melancholy smile painted her lips. "Good morning Bloom." With that, she left my room. Suddenly, I realized that no matter how many VCR recordings of my life Oritel borrowed from Mike, he & Mariam would never get all those imprisoned years back. And it was killing all three of us.

* * *

><p>"—and Eraklyon have formed an alliance. We are hoping to resolve the trade dispute. If this crisis is not settled, however…"<p>

"Is she in any danger?" My father's voice was grave, stopping me in my tracks through the royal garden. It was no surprise that a simple "stroll" through the palace grounds for my father and Sky involved discussions revolving around governing affairs. The way my father spoke, however, made me assume that the "she" he was concerned for was actually me.

"It's hard to decide, sir." Sky admitted.

Here I am, with he who I have been longing to touch right within my reach, and I'm hiding from him behind a pampered hedge. This might just be my opinion, but this seems quite ridiculous.

"How so?"

"Well," on the other side of the hedge, their pace came to a halt. "As of now, she is not in any kind of immediate danger. However, because I am involved with her, there is a chance she may be targeted given any reason that she should be used as bait for me or held hostage. If there should be any disagreement, that is."

My father hesitated to respond. "Thank you, Sky, for entrusting me with this information. I'll keep the possibilities in mind. In the meantime, let me go see if Bloom is—"

Taking this as my cue, I hurriedly rounded the shrub, "Daddy! Sk— _Ooof!_"

Ramming directly into Sky's chest, he caught me around the waist just before I toppled over.

"A little eager, aren't we, Princess?" His laughing eyes met mine. I felt like I was melting at the close contact.

"It's been a while…" Lacing my hands together behind his neck, his grip drew me closer.

From a distance, Oritel chuckled, startling me from Sky's firm embrace. "I'll leave you two alone." With that, he vanished behind a hedge.

"Sky…" I breathed, cupping his cheek. I nearly leaned in to kiss him, but something about his demeanor made me refrain. His eyes frantically searched my face, slightly crinkled with worry. "What's wrong?"

It was unnerving the way he mesmerized me, with his thumb slowly running over my bottom lip, hand tilting my face up. "I'm just so happy that you're safe."

Puzzled, I tried to cut through the mysterious glaze in his eyes with my own, searching for answers. "Why wouldn't I be safe?"

Sky drew his hand away from my face. I was drowning in his intense gaze, I had no footing. "Because of me, I'm afraid."

"What do you mean?" Irritation scorched my veins. Why did he always have to be so vague? The way he had proposed to me had even been a little blurred at first. Until he finally cut the crap, that is. For once, I wanted straight answers. I deserve that much.

"Bloom… It's Eraklyon." In that moment, his eyes were ablaze, lighting my soul on fire. "We're at war."


	2. Chapter 2

**There Will Always be Those Who Hate Those Born to Rule**

**After a few moments of chilly silence, I'm drawn to Sky's gaze again.**I find hatred there, fear, and passion. Perhaps you could call it love. The aggressive crave to protect me, to let no man dare to touch me but him. I read it all in his eyes. That doesn't always happen. Usually, his eyes are glazed over with something I can't quite place, and I am unable to decode his thoughts. But when I can, it honestly frightens me.

"Is this what you were discussing with my father?"

He looks elsewhere, anywhere but my troubled face. "Yes. You're not safe, Bloom. My people are not safe. It seems…" he trails, finally locking our gazes, "as if no place is safe."

"Sky…" I rest a hand on his chest. There is strength and warmth there, the courage of a drumming heart. I spoke in all sincerity, "I feel safe with you."

His disapproval is hardly a secret; it's made plain in the stiffness of his voice. Suddenly, his eyes are dark and stern. His warped demeanor stings me as I realize he is as intimidating as ever. "I'm a target."

As abrupt as his changed disposition, realization seeps into my mind. I understand what he is about to do. I understand that he will cling to the truth even against the whole Magic Dimension. I understand what he is about to say to me.

I understand, but I do not wish to accept.

"We must postpone our marriage, Bloom."

I had braced myself for these words, but the impact did not fail to crush me. I suddenly wondered if there would ever be a ceremony for us.

Frustration took a hold of me; I did not want to take orders from a King. I balled up the hand I had left resting on his chest and took a fistful of his royal attire.

"No."

Surprised, he seemed to loom over my body, taking advantage of his height over me. "I'm not going to risk your life! Once we are married, you will also be—"

I didn't want to hear it, "Oh, so being your fiancé isn't as dangerous as being your wife!"

"Precisely."

I did not appreciate the way his lips curved into a satisfied sneer. Irritated, I pulled him even closer to me by his collar. Angry tears pricked my eyes. "Then let's get married now! I love you, Sky. I know you love me! I want to live with you, be with you! If you're a direct target, I'll… I'll die with you, Sky." My grip on him trembled. "I'll marry you even at the cost of my life!"

His voice is stolid, yet his touch is tender. He carefully brushes aside straggling strands of hair from my line of vision, "You've always been rather impulsive."

Soaring emotions raged within me. Humility, anger, confusion… I was mixed up. I failed to interpret how I felt, a flaw only he brought out in me.

"Besides," he continued, skimming a finger under my chin, "that would be rather selfish of us to our friends if we ran off and wed in secret."

Shame crept up on me. With a defeated resolve, I sagged into him. "How long shall we delay the wedding, then?"

"Until I know you will be safe."

All further conversation is cut off by a sudden arrival of guests, their humble chatter preceding them long before they came bursting through the garden gates. It is nice to hear their voices, but I won't budge from Sky's arms. Perhaps I am rude not to greet the girls, but Stella seemed to understand when she read my expression.

"Hello, ladies," Sky greets the Winx Club kindly. His words are returned with slight smiles, which instantly slip back into a visage of concern. It is then that I notice Musa and Layla's absence. Stella, Tecna, and Flora's presence seems disturbed without the two, which unsettles me.

"You know," Flora quietly voices. It is a statement, rather than a question.

I nod.

Tecna's face is screwed up in uncertainty, "And you've agreed to his terms?"

Again, I nod.

"Bloom," Stella is hesitant, that much is clear with the insecure way her skirt rustles when she walks, but she steps towards me and Sky all the same. "My father is thinking about quarantining Solaria. We may have to get involved with the Trade Federation conflict, too."

"That is why neither Musa nor Layla could come with us," Tecna confirmed. "They are forbidden to leave their respective planet."

"I do not think the people of Linphea shall get involved," Flora mused, taking note of Sky's worried expression.

"Damn," He breathed. Arms withdrawing from around my waist, he turned away from the girls, anxiously running his hands through his hair.

"This isn't your fault, Sky." I smiled meekly at yet another of Flora's attempts to assure Sky that the intergalactic damage was not his doing.

"Yeah, my father is just overprotective," Stella quipped.

Hands clenching into fists, Sky spoke through gritted teeth. "The Trade Federation has maintained a sizable monopoly throughout many systems in the Magic Dimension. Initially, the Trade Federation began as a shipping corporation who controlled all major and minor trade routes. Now, the they have grown into an even bigger threat, dominating entire star systems. They crave power. Eraklyon is simply another domino in this effect if we do not win the war against them. My planet has been threatened. If I cannot defeat the Federation, they will attack all surrounding planets. That is why Layla and Musa are confined to their planets. They're preparing for war."

"That is correct," Tecna verified solemnly.

Whirling around, he faced the four of us with blazing eyes. "It's my fault if **any of you** are harmed!"

"Oh, please!" Stella scoffed.

"That is absurd!"

"But it is!" he pressed, disregarding their interjections. "If I cannot lead my people in war—"

"**Enough!**" I yelled over their bickering, hating to see such strain among friends. "Please, I do not wish to speak of the war."

The whole thing was over before I could even realize what was happening.

A man bolts up like lightning, emerging from the hedges that line our path, holding some form of weapon that I have never seen before.

He points it directly at me.

In one fluid movement, Sky draws his phantoblade and advances on the intended assassin with a vicious snarl. He is willing to save me, but his squire is much quicker.

He seemed to come from nowhere, yet from every direction all at once. I had not taken notice of Brandon's presence until he drew his weapon. With the cool efficiency of a soldier, he punches the attacker in the nose, and proceeds to emotionlessly gut him.

Blood splatters on the pavement, also staining the shrubbery. It's everywhere. It tinges his uniform; it must be burned later.

Stella's voice is strangled by disbelief. It comes out as a whisper that barely hangs in the air, "B-Brandon?"

Sky twists himself from the violent scene. His words are sharp. "Winx Club, transform and get into the palace."

I start to argue, but he won't have it. "**Now**, Bloom."

Desperation gleams beneath the hard look he shoots me. It reminds me… of a time. Right after it was revealed that Sky was royalty, I questioned Brandon's role as his squire. He told me that there had been occasions when people tried to kill him, and Brandon had always protected him. He told me that the relationship between a squire and a Prince was frustrating, but golden. They were the best of friends, yet Brandon would always be the one to put his life on the line for him. It was his duty as a squire, just like his father before him.

I had asked why people wanted to kill him. His reply was flat and impassive.

"_I will oversee Eraklyon, one day. There will always be those who hate those born to rule_."

**A/N: Thank you to those who left a review. That was very kind.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Scarlet Hands**

**Blood oozes sluggishly, painting the pavement crimson, slipping between pasted cracks. **You would think that he would at least have the decency to not bleed so much.

Sky's orders are as keen as the Phantoblade he carries. However, I cannot simply tear my eyes away from the lacerated carcass tangled within the hedges. My gaze is paralyzed with a terrible realization, heart raging within my chest. The corset that hugs my torso grows insufferably tight.

**Brandon is a trained killer.**

What little color that remains drains from Stella's horrified visage. She acts quickly. Channeling her Winx, she becomes the very embodiment of the shining sun, but her approach misleads. Fear flaring in her eyes, she catches my arm, knuckles bleached and bloodless. No explicit mode registers within her tone. It is impassive, yet throbbing with meaning. "Winx, transform."

* * *

><p><strong>Brandon's stained Phantoblade is safely nestled in his holster, hidden by the folds of his cape. I pray that I do not have to see it speared through another body anytime soon. <strong>Not once has he glanced at Stella, noticeably upsetting her with his severe quiet. Blood darkens his and Sky's attire, blaring streaks in their hair, dried smudges on their faces. The blood is like warrior paint smeared across their bodies. It's a tad unsettling.

The men ostracize us girls from their discussion, conducted in low voices that are out of our reach. My father had barked at us Winx to leave the room when the two arrived, Royal Guards ushering us out of the generous grand foyer. We disobey, however, and remain opposite them. Oritel acknowledges the four of us, yet does not bother to waste energy on enforcing his authority. He is pale, a torrent of dire disbelief wavering in his eyes. Sky remains composed, standing tall against the trials of life, but I know him all too well. He is anxious, reassuring himself with slight glances in my direction every time my father speaks. His conscious is demented with fright.

Flora shifts on her feet, smoothing her skirt over with shaky hands.

Tecna sees this. The expression she offers, that of trepidation and sorrow, deepens.

Stella remains distant. If she possessed the power of laser vision, I swear Brandon would have a smoking hole through his skull. His gaze is fixed through a pane of glass, and I follow it. Royal Guards march below, dutifully scouting out the palace grounds. He starts to speak and my father's brows knit together in puzzlement at his words. He repeats himself, and this time, Oritel appears aggravated. Suddenly, Brandon acts as if struck, rounding on my father with a firm voice that booms through the hushed room.

"King Oritel, I consider myself _more _capable of protecting your daughter!"

There is an edge to his voice that I've never heard before. Stella winces.

My father's reply is dangerous and low. I barely catch it.

"Our customs differ from those of Eraklyon, Squire."

But I spot it, that dawning sensation of defeat infects my father's dominant poise. Brandon's words disarm him, and the sight makes me want to weep. Because now, I finally realize that Sky is truly right. I am not safe.

* * *

><p><strong>It is evening before Sky and I finally converse. <strong>The shock has finally faded. With security measures taken, the Winx Club prepares to depart for their own home planets. Sky and I look on from my bedroom balcony as Stella and Brandon cling together, swaying in each other's warmth by the palace's grand gates.

"It must be difficult for them," Sky muses, arms clasped around my waist from behind. I settle against him, savoring the sensation of his breath heating the side of my face.

Swallowing hard, I try my best to bite my tongue, but I can't allow any more blood to shed today. Trying to imagine how Stella must feel, I know what I'm about to say is selfish. My lips let my words run wild, "Any more difficult than it is for us?"

My skin grows cold.

Suddenly, his hands squeeze my hips, twisting my body around to face him before I can catch myself.

I force my eyes to meet his. There is puzzlement and hurt there. My heart is racing. For a moment, I forget how to breathe. I started to drown in my mistake, sputtering for air.

"Do you mean that, Bloom?" His words strike a dare, almost challenging me to lie to him.

"Well, _they _don't have to postpone a marriage!"

Those were the wrong words to say. He could be so intimidating, and I had struck a raw nerve. I yelp as his hands hold me more firmly.

"You know why we have to do that."

"Why, so we can be _fair _to everyone?" All of a sudden, I started gasping, throat burning while I tried to contain tears. "Sky… Sky, you're hurting me."

With wide eyes, his hands immediately pulled away from me. "Bloom… I… I didn't mean—"

I caught him around the wrist, "No. I still… want you to hold me."

After staring down the barrel of, what I later learned was forbidden in all but three civilized systems, the weapon of an assassin, something primal violated his eyes whenever he looked at me. Understandably, he was more protective than ever. Exactly what he came to warn me about had occurred. My parents almost lost another daughter. I was not safe within my own Kingdom.

"Sky…" I mumble into his chest. "All I want is to be with you."

His hands smooth over my back, fingers raking through the length of my hair. "You already are."

"I want to be with you tonight…" Slowly but surely, he backs me into the nearest stone wall. "Tomorrow… the next day… _the rest of my life_."

His body presses into mine. With his hot breath in the shell of my ear, I let his hands caress me. "You think I don't want that, too?"

Eventually halting his intimate intentions, Sky pulled back to look at me again. It takes me a moment to completely focus on what he's saying. "I realize that on Sparks, the handmaidens have other duties as opposed to those on Eraklyon."

_Handmaidens? What the… _"Why are we bringing up the Royal Maids?"

Chuckling lightly, he playfully fingers the taut binds of my corset, "A handmaiden on Eraklyon is a servant, one who helps her mistress dress, provides for meals, and also—" he gives a deliberate tug at the strings crossing up my back "—undresses her mistress in the evening."

"But that's no different than the handmaidens here." If anything, I picture handmaidens on Eraklyon being more laid back being the only difference. Otherwise, I have no idea what Sky is getting at.

"A handmaiden on Eraklyon is also a bodyguard. Someone to confide in, she must protect her mistress even at the cost of her own life."

"Oh." Comprehension suddenly dawns on me. "But I'm not a part of Eraklyon just yet, Sky. I don't have such a handmaiden to protect me."

Carefully stepping from me, he paced the balcony a few times. "I've considered a few options that would assure your safety, Bloom. In a hypothetical perspective, let's say Eraklyon defeats the Trade Federation… that I survive. Then, we could marry and rebuild. But if we marry now, you would have a handmaiden to protect you. But the threats you would have to face would be even more cutthroat than that assassin. If Eraklyon is invaded, the Trade Federation will hunt us down, Bloom." By now, his hands are clenched into fists. He doesn't give me the satisfaction of making eye contact. "A handmaiden on Eraklyon fulfils a role of that similar to a Squire. Both are trained to kill. I'm lucky to have Brandon. Not only as a Squire, but as my best friend. What happened today is simply in his line of duty. Even so, I feel like I'm forever in debt to him…"

"Sky?" Oh God. I know what this is about, now.

He stops pacing and turns to me, his gaze glazed and distant.

"Are Squires or handmaidens permitted to marry?"

"No." A slight, conspiratorial smirk paints his lips. "But royal propriety does not always prevent that."

Shame disembowels me. Looking over the balcony, Stella and Brandon cling to each other one final time before they depart. This embrace, I realize, is not simply out of passion. Stella's hold is desperate. Brandon tries to wrap her in with comfort, but even his body language screams in despair.

_It must be difficult for them._

* * *

><p><strong>Sky is willing to stare down the teeth of death for me.<strong> In his eyes, I see devotion so intense, it can hardly be real. There is blood on his hands, stained scarlet from the assassin, just like the blood in me. Crusted crimson lies underneath his nails.

The sun is laughing as it sets, mocking me as it turns the sky red. Daylight is engulfed wholeheartedly. Everlasting night looms, but the nightmare has just begun.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: If you're wondering, the remaining Specialists & Winx Club members that I have not gone in depth with or mentioned just yet will definitely come up. Thanks a bunch to those who reviewed! I appreciate it!**


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